Pickup trucks manufactured some years ago have tailgate latch systems that can be visually inspected to determine if the tailgate is locked in a closed position. These latching systems include a hook on a chain that is inserted through aligned apertures in two plates that are adjacent to each other when the tailgate is closed. The chain and hook are outside the cargo area, where they can be observed from a distance. A chain and hook was provided for locking each side of the tailgate in the closed position.
The employment of two chain and hook latches made it somewhat inconvenient to open and close tailgates with the chain and hook latch systems. Manufacturers of pickup trucks introduced tailgate latch systems with a centered latch handle to eliminate the chains and hooks. The centered latch handle makes it convenient and easy to open and close a tailgate in one location.
The centered latch handles, that are employed on pickup trucks manufactured today, offer a variety of latch systems. Some of the latch systems have a latch bar on each side of the tailgate that slides laterally in to and out of a receiver. Other centered latch handles operate a forked latch plate that engages a fixed pin at each side of the cargo box of the truck. The forked latch plates rotate about a fixed transverse horizontal axis. The center latch handle frees the forked latch plates to rotate and allows the tailgate to open.
A latch system operated by a centered latch handle is hidden from view when the tailgate is in a closed position. The centered latch handle can be seen but the latch bars, forked latch plates, or other latching members are hidden from view. The linkage connected to the centered latch handle is enclosed inside the tailgate.
Owners and operators of pickup trucks with enclosed tailgate latching systems have, until recent years, generally been able to grasp tailgates and pull on them to determine if they are actually latched in the closed position. Owners and operators have also been able to observe tailgates from inside the operator's compartment to visually determine if the tailgate is closed.
Owners and operators of pickup trucks today frequently use them in place of cars. For such use, an enclosed cargo compartment is required to serve the function of an automobile trunk. A variety of covers are used to protect articles carried in pickup truck boxes from the elements. Some of these covers include soft fabric material, while others are made from rigid materials. Regardless of the material used to make these covers, many of them have two characteristics that cause problems. They cover the upper edge of the tailgate making it impossible to grasp and pull on the tailgate to ensure that it is latched in a closed position. Many of these covers also block the view of the tailgate from the operator's compartment. As a result, tailgates on pickup trucks occasionally open while the truck is in motion and cargo is lost on the road.